Even though there have been other French composers before Leclair that have published violin sonatas in France, their impact and overall quality do not come anywhere close to Leclair's 4 books of violin sonatas. Therefore, Leclair's title as the "founder of French violin school" is undisputed. Having reviewed a recording of his supposedly lighter works before here, this recording here gets to the meat of his compositions: his first book of violin sonatas.

Leclair's first book (Op.1) were written before his second journey to Italy and his collaboration with Locatelli, where he would absorb and update himself on the latest in violin techniques. The later three books supposedly have more requirements and challenges for the performer. However, this first book is demanding in its own right!

This disc is the first of three in what I believe is the first complete recording of Leclair's op.1 violin sonatas, by British period musicians Adrian Butterfield (violin), Alison McGillivray (gamba), and Laurence Cummings (harpsichord). This CD contains the first 4 sonatas of the book.

Leclair's Op.1 is modeled after what most people in Europe modeled after at the time: Corelli's Op.5 violin sonatas. The Italian references are evident: Italian movement markings (e.g. Allegro, Andante..) and more importantly, Italian spellings of the dances (Allemanda, Gavotta, Giga, etc.). The French elements are more implicit and inherent, such as the rondeau form in many sonatas and overall style. Leclair's sonatas are generally longer and more expansive than Corelli's sonatas, where the musical ideas are more developed and thought-out. I also feel that these works are carefully crafted. The works are maturely written, have exceptionally high quality, no extra wasted notes, and colorful harmony. Unlike Corelli, where there are some short motifs he keeps reusing in many of his works, Leclair's sonatas always seem fresh.

Leclair's sonatas don't try to prove or show outright that they are hard to play. His double and triple stops and other challenges blend seamlessly into the music. There is a grace in Leclair's sonatas that separate him from his Italian contemporaries. The Italian violin sonatas do not conceal any of the pyrotechnics, and even the untrained ear can spot the term "showoff". If you liken the Italian violin sonata to the bank robber, directly confronting the manager and taking away all the money, Leclair's sonatas are like the brilliant thief in the heist movies: only the following day will the managers know what hit them.

Of these four sonatas, the darker and more serious No.1 seems to stand out, the mood set immediately by the opening Adagio. However, the following Allemanda is of sorrow but of charm. The twists of the musical line, executed with little hesitations by Butterfield, is simply beautiful and caught my ear the most. The slow Aria movement, incidentally, is also the most French in nature. The third sonata contains a vibrant second movement with deliberate staccato indications. However, the Gavotta from the 4th sonata, with its opening tempo, is what really can get you moving, of course, with its multiple stops .

Adrian Butterfield and his team play at a steady pace, having explained in the booklet that Leclair explicitly wrote that when he indicated Allegro, it didn't want a very fast movement, rather than a merry one. Butterfield's playing is smooth and poised, refraining from stronger accents and attacks that other violinists would prefer. The technical passages are treated with ease, as if it were just another ordinary note. He may not be as dramatic as others, but in this respect Butterfield maybe embodies Leclair's original intent of showing the elegance and refinement in the music without the extra pompousness. It's important to note that the Italian master Corelli himself also refrained from emphasizing the technical challenges, instead focusing on the cantabile musical line and the beauty of the violin tone.

Great playing and nice addition to the repertoire of Leclair recordings.

1 comment:

An interesting reading. The "relaxed" demeanor expressed through the music I don't find as convincing as readings with a tad more movement. Compared to François Fernandez, I preferred the Monsieur Fernandez's reading (with harpsichordist Pierre Hantai). Their release was not, however, complete, to my knowledge (on Astree).

Simon Standage has been a champion of Leclair's music, with many recordings of concertos on Chandos. It was through him, first, that I began to admire Leclair's style and fitness as a composer.

I have been enjoying in respectable sips the reading by Patrick Bismuth with his ensemble 'La Tempesta.' He substitutes flute for two sonatas, which is okay, I expect, but the flute performances pale in comparison to those on violin.

In ways not dissimilar to Locatelli, Leclair's technical prowess only increases with the age of his works, along with the extension of the playable gamut of the instrument.

I suspect he was among the most avante garde of the French baroque. Keeping up with the Italians was serious business.